RON JONES, from Hamilton, was among four Britons seized after a spate of explosions in the Saudi capital Riyadh in 2001.

A SCOT who was tortured after being falsely accused of a bombing in Saudi Arabia has hit out at the UK government after losing his 13-year fight for justice.

Ron Jones, 60, was among four Britons seized after a spate of explosions in Riyadh in 2001.

The former tax adviser, from Hamilton, who was injured in one of the blasts, was taken from his hospital bed by secret police thugs who inflicted a horrific catalogue of pain and terror over 67 days.

Ron had his hands and feet caned and he was beaten with a pickaxe handle. He was also drugged and subjected to sleep deprivation, beatings and psychological duress.

He has pursued the Saudi government through the courts along with fellow Scot Alexander Mitchell, William Sampson and Leslie Walker, who were also tortured over other bombings.

But the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Saudi Arabia was exempt from any legal action from the torture victims.

Ron, who has post traumatic stress disorder, said: “I’m very angry. For the last decade or so, I’ve lived a nightmare and am haunted by what I went through.

“I was tortured for 67 days. It was hell. And the legal proceedings have been a form of torture too. I’ve had to go through the mental torture of waiting eight years for a judgment from the European courts.

“For it to be ruled against me is a massive blow. The judgment came as a big shock to me, not to mention the massive legal bills. I’ve lost count of how much it is.”

He feels betrayed by the UK government, who supported Saudi Arabia in not allowing legal action to be taken against them.

Then Prime Minister Tony Blair previously intervened to back state immunity for Saudi Arabia – a key British ally and trade partner in the Middle East.

Ron, now living in West Sussex, said: “The British government are far more concerned about their relationship with the oil-rich Saudi government than the welfare and human rights of their citizens.

“When I finally got released and got home to the UK, the government told me not to tell anyone or speak to the press about the torture and the ordeal I went through.

“The court is, and the government are, basically giving the okay to other nations that they won’t face repercussions if they torture someone. That is one of the hardest facts to face.”

The Saudis are accused of lying that the bombings were staged by Westerners involved in an illicit alcohol turf war. Alexander ran a small bar called Celtic Corner in his compound for a year.

But, in reality, the terror attacks are thought to have been by Islamic extremists targeting Westerners.

Ron has now bravely decided to lay bare the full extent of his ordeal.

He said: “The officers came to me in hospital and said they needed to take a statement. They gave me the impression they would take me home and do it there.

“But I was taken to a facility somewhere and thrown in a cell.

“That night, the officers came back and made it clear that it was me who was responsible for the bombing.

“It was surreal. The torture started straight away and it became clear to me that if I didn’t agree to what they wanted, the beatings would continue and I probably wouldn’t make it out alive.

“I was blindfolded, shackled and handcuffed and taken to a room where I was asked about the explosion.

“They said they knew I was part of the bombing circle, that I had planted the bomb and that if I didn’t admit it, they would torture me until I confessed.

“They punched and kicked me until I was black and blue every day. It was relentless.

“They caned the soles of my feet, the palms of my hands, punched me, kicked me and drugged me. At one time, the torturer started to sing.

“They also tried psychological stuff and told me they had arrested my wife and son and that they were doing all this to them as well.

“There’s a period of about a week that I can’t remember much at all. I had a hair sample test done when I got back which showed I was given a sedative drug.

“They tried sleep deprivation too. They would interrogate me all night and not let me sleep during the day.

“Another time, they tied my hands up behind my back, then hung them from the bars of the window.